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Patient Recovers, Returns to Career He Loves Through Expert Care of RN

After three weeks in the hospital, Marc couldn’t wait to return home.

Hospital staff had successfully treated his cellulitis, a potentially life-threatening skin infection. But one stumbling block remained — a very deep wound on his left foot that could take months to heal.

Hospital staff enlisted VNA Care to help Marc safely transition from the hospital to home. When Marc opened his door to his registered nurse, Val, (pictured) he found an expert clinician who was unwavering in her mission to get him back on his feet. 

“Education is a crucial part of the care we provide as nurses in the community, and being able to provide that in someone’s home is extremely beneficial to our patients,” said Val. “When patients are in the hospital or even their physician’s office, the barriers to self-care are not always obvious to the providers. I get to see firsthand what barriers prevent someone from being able to meet their goals and help them learn while adapting the teaching and resources to each patients’ particular needs.”

Marc’s condition meant that he needed to stay off his feet, and diabetes would further complicate and slow the healing process. He was forced to take an extended leave from a job that he loves. Any outings from his home, the top two floors of a brownstone in Boston with lots of stairs and no elevator, had to be minimized and carefully planned. His once active life began revolving around watching Netflix.

His treatment included a wound VAC, or vacuum-assisted closure, to decrease air pressure around the wound and better promote healing. Val would change Marc’s dressing, make sure the wound VAC was working properly, check for signs of infection, and monitor his progress.

Marc appreciated the time Val devoted to helping him understand his condition. He learned about the way nutrition contributes to the healing process and countless other things like keeping his legs elevated and uncrossed to promote blood flow.

He said, “Val knows her stuff. She’s very good at educating and explaining to people how every decision you make relative to your health impacts your success. …If I said I was going to do something, she’d ask where I stand with it. At the same time, she was very, very encouraging.”

Over the course of five months, Marc focused on each and every small success until he finally received the good news that his wound was healed. He’s back to work and enjoying going out with friends.

Val said she finds it fulfilling to “know the positive impact I have on someone’s life and their ability to maintain their independence. I often will find myself running into former patients or former patients’ family members while in the community, and it makes my day when they give me updates of how well things are going or just stop to thank me for the care I provided.”

Marc is incredibly grateful for all that Val did to help him regain his health. He added, “I wouldn’t have made it through this without Val. She was a Godsend.”